Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [256]
Behind the closed doors of the exclusive tea houses and restaurants that dot the backstreets of Kyoto, women of exquisite grace and refinement entertain gentlemen of considerable means. Patrons may pay more than US$3000 to spend an evening in the company of two or three geisha – kimono-clad women versed in an array of visual and performing arts, including playing the three-stringed shamisen, singing old tea-house ballads and dancing.
An evening in a Gion tea house begins with an exquisite kaiseki (Japanese cuisine that obeys very strict rules of etiquette for every detail of the meal, including the setting) meal. While their customers eat, the geisha or maiko (apprentice geisha) enter the room and introduce themselves in Kyoto dialect.
A shamisen performance, followed by a traditional fan dance, is often given, and all the while the geisha and maiko pour drinks, light cigarettes and engage in charming banter.
It is virtually impossible to enter a Gion tea house and witness a geisha performance without the introduction of an established patron. With the exception of public performances at annual festivals or dance presentations, they perform only for select customers. Geisha are not prostitutes, and those who decide to open their own tea houses once they retire at 50 or so may receive financial backing from well-to-do clients.
Knowledgeable sources estimate that there are perhaps 80 maiko and just over 100 geisha in Kyoto. Although their numbers are ever decreasing, geisha (geiko in the Kyoto dialect) and maiko can still be seen in some parts of Kyoto, especially after dusk in the back streets between the Kamo-gawa and Yasaka-jinja and along the narrow Ponto-chō alley. Geisha and maiko can also be found in other parts of the country, most notably Tokyo. However, it is thought that there are fewer than 1000 geisha and maiko remaining in all Japan.
Geisha and maiko entertainment can be arranged through top-end hotels, ryokan and some private tour operators in Kyoto.
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You approach the main gate between tall hedges, before turning sharply into the extensive grounds. Walkways lead through the gardens, which include meticulously raked cones of white sand (said to be symbolic of a mountain and a lake), tall pines and a pond in front of the temple. A path also leads up the mountainside through the trees.
Note that Ginkaku-ji is one of the city’s most popular sites, and it is almost always crowded, especially during the spring and autumn. We strongly recommend visiting right after it opens or just before it closes.
From JR Kyoto or Keihan Sanjō Station, take bus 5 and get off at the Ginkaku-ji-michi stop. From Demachiyanagi Station or Shijō Station, take bus 203 to the same stop.
OKAZAKI-KŌEN AREA
Right in the heart of the northern Higashiyama area, you’ll find Okazaki-kōen (Map), which is Kyoto’s museum district, and the home of one of Kyoto’s most popular and important shrines, Heian-jingū.
Take bus 5 from Kyoto Station or Keihan Sanjō Station and get off at the Kyoto Kaikan Bijutsu-kan-mae stop and walk north, or walk up from Keihan Sanjō Station (15 minutes). All the sights listed here are within five minutes’ walk of this stop.
Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art
The Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Map; 771-4107; 124 Enshōji-chō, Okazaki, Sakyō-ku; admission varies by exhibition; 9am-5pm, closed Mon) organises several major exhibitions a year, including the excellent Kyoten exhibition, which showcases Japan’s best living artists. It’s held from late May until early June most years (check with the TIC for exact dates). These exhibitions are drawn from its vast collection of post-Meiji-era artworks. Kyoto-related works form a significant portion of this near-modern and modern collection. Last entry 4pm.
National Museum of Modern Art
This museum (Map; 761-4111; www.momak.go.jp/English; Enshōji-chō, Okazaki, Sakyō-ku; admission ¥420; 9.30am-5pm, closed Mon) is renowned for its compact collection of contemporary Japanese ceramics and paintings. Check to see what’s on while you’re in town. Last entry